En decembro do ano pasado as partes interesadas reuníronse para analizar as actividades de conservación destinadas a protexer moitos Zanzibar bosques sagrados coñecidos como 'ya Misitu Jadi’ en inglés. Unha das principais leccións tomadas é que, aínda relativamente pequena en tamaño e en estatura modesta son moi importantes para a cultura, historia, arqueoloxía, xeoloxía, conservación da natureza e servizos ambientais. They also play an important role in the fabric of Zanzibar’s life especially at the village level, así, o seu papel é significativamente "Maior que o seu tamaño”. Cultural and economic changes mean, con todo, que están a ser degradados, mal e aínda destruíu completamente.

Traballar ao longo do ano pasado e medio incluíu unha investigación biolóxica de 10 bosques sagrados en 6 aldeas da rexión sur de Zanzíbar, unha investigación social dos seus gardiáns e comunidades, a realización dunha oficina de planificación para as partes interesadas 43 people drawn from different stakeholders and the development of management plans for two of the sacred forests. Also accomplished has been the making of two community films and the collection of Swahili language oral histories in both film and written transcripts. Traducións ao inglés tamén se fixeron.

Garda dos bosques sagrados a partir de Sacred Sitios Natural en Vimeo.

Stakeholder taller orientada por gardiáns do bosque: O 14 de decembro 2012, the key organisations came together to review these activities and reflect on what the next steps might look like. Importantly the guardians of the forests themselves guide this process and they have been actively involved in the programme and planning for the future. One participant Musa Hassan Mwambe, Gardián do Bosque Sagrada Marembwe, situado na aldea Makanduchi dixo; “Nós gardiáns están satisfeitos coa colaboración e quere atoparse con gardiáns máis e discutir a formación dunha rede ou quizais unha asociación”. Other activities during the week were meetings, focus group discussions and field visits. The workshop included the forest guardians, principais departamentos gobernamentais, apoiar as organizacións da sociedade civil, mentres que nas aldeas importantes discusións foron realizadas con outros gardiáns, membros da comunidade local e operadores turísticos.

Desafíos de bosques sagrados a partir de Sacred Sitios Natural en Vimeo.

20,000 anos de uso humano: Socialmente os bosques están moitas veces ligados ao establecemento histórico de vilas privadas, ou relacionados coas orixes das familias particulares e os devanceiros son respectados por visitas aos pomares para realizar oracións e facer ofrendas. Nalgúns casos, encontros anuais inclúen Ngoma '’ que son danzas con ritmos de tambores específicos. Moitas veces, o lugar sagrado en si é unha cova de pedra caliza frecuentemente cunha mola, ben ou piscina, formed within ancient raised coral reef rock. Recent archeological evidence has shown a much older human connection with evidence of occupation as long ago as 20,000 anos.

Tecnicamente coñecido como sistema cársico '’ the caves can go for miles and much of the island is riddled with such systems often supporting important water lens. The water provides fresh water for dry season community use and in some cases have become the main village water supply. Kast caves have their own specialist wildlife and are home to bats and unique cave creatures that have yet to be explored. Thus while the cave or geological feature is usually the cultural focus and forest provides the ‘clothing’ offering cool and shady conditions. Within local protocols it is prohibited to cut trees or hunt animals in the groves and so they have been, polo menos ata recentemente, un porto seguro para a vida salvaxe.

Rica en vida salvaxe: Traballo de investigación biolóxica, que confirmou que os bosques son moito máis ricos en biodiversidade que o bosque e terras agrícolas, much of which is becoming increasingly degraded. They provide refuges for local animals such as the endemic Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey and two species of Elephant Shrew. They are also rich in plants with the 10 bosques que, xuntos, suman menos que 10 hectáreas en apoio medida máis 70 especies de plantas, many of which are becoming increasingly rare. 10 species have been noted that cannot be identified locally. Given that Zanzibar is part of one of the most important global hotspots for nature the biological riches of the forests may not be so surprising.

What is perhaps more surprising that despite their importance the sacred forests have remained hidden and often over looked. The do not figure widely in conservation or other government policies and the forests are easy to miss. Villagers tend not to talk about them much, mesmo entre si, and new residents can live right next to them for years without knowing their significance. Given Zanzibar’s tourist boom the island has a large number of new residents from many places in the world who are unfamiliar with this aspect of Zanzibar culture and life.

“Nós gardiáns están satisfeitos coa colaboración e quere atoparse con gardiáns máis para discutir a formación dunha rede ou quizais unha asociación” Musa Hassan Ambe, Gardián do Bosque Sagrada Marembwe, Makanduchi aldea, do sur, Zanzibar.

Hotspot de biodiversidade baixo ameaza: Lugares de animais de alta e variedade de plantas tamén son chamadas de "hotspots’ because they are critically threatened. Zanzibar is no different and rapid economic development, tourism expansion population growth has put significant demands on the social and ecological systems. Cultural changes mean that some, especialmente as xeracións máis novas, están perdendo o interese pola cultura e relixión, demanda de terra para o desenvolvemento do turismo aumentou dramaticamente, mentres que a necesidade de materiais de construción desenvolveuse nunha fame! This hunger combined with the real poverty of many rural inhabitants has left most of the areas forests no more than a low scrub. This has meant that attention has turned to sacred forests for timber, postes e leña e os tabús que resistiu a proba do tempo están batendo, large trees are being felled and poles from them sold to Zanzibar town. Hundreds if not thousands of years of history are being extinguished for a few Tanzanian shillings to no meaningful gain in comparison to the diverse cultural and biological riches that are being lost. Often the cutting is being carried out by the youth of the same families whose elders despair at their loss of control and the changing culture around them.

Bosques sagrados comezando a contar: Agora, con todo, é, quizais, o momento é propicio para unha mellor comprensión do "Misitu ya Jadi’ and them start to count. In fact starting to count them has been the first step. This work has been led by the local non-government organisation ZAZOSO a Sociedade Zoolóxica de Zanzíbar. A team of ZAZOSO biologists and foresters has been working with the site guardians to map and record the locations, límites, valores sociais e bioloxía da 10 locais. It is important that the guardians not only give their permission for this but guide the process so that the local regulations and norms are followed. All the data will be returned to the guardians in a form that is useful to them and they guide how it can be stored and used.

Cine comunidade: Outra Zanzibar organización non gobernamental Mwambao costeiro Rede (http://www.mwambao.or.tz) has taken a lead on the social development component training guardians and other community members in film making. This has used a specific technique call ‘Participatory Video (PV)’ isto significa en torno 10 día 12 membros da comunidade poden planificar e filmar dous vídeos da comunidade – un feito impresionante para aqueles que na maioría dos casos nunca tivo unha cámara de vídeo antes. See also news item: https://sacrednaturalsites.org/resources/news/page/4/

Obradoiro de Estratexia: As recomendacións do Workshop principais son as seguintes:

• Os gardiáns de coñecer e considerar a formación dunha rede de comunicarse en conxunto e tomar medidas coordinadas para salvagardar os seus sitios,
• Para continuar o traballo de listaxe e investigación para entender mellor os bosques sagrados,
• Para desenvolver un programa de comunicación e sensibilización, tanto da aldea como a nivel nacional, especialmente traballando cos fabricantes de mozos ea política,
• Para desenvolver unha estratexia de conservación do bosque sagrado,
• Tomar medidas para reverter o encollemento dos bosques, promovendo a restauración forestal nas súas beiras.
• Mellorar as políticas e medidas legais para protexer os bosques sagrados.

O Zanzibar Departamento Forestal está a proporcionar supervisión e apoio ás actividades, como ten o Secretaría de Turismo ea Departamento de Arquivo – in recognition of the historic and cultural values. Technical advice and fund raising has been provided by the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative a member of the IUCN Specialist Group on the Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas. The work has been funded by the Christensen Fund, (EUA) o New England Biolabs Fundación, (EUA) e Terralingua (EUA e Canadá).

Para máis información contacte info@sacrednaturalsites.org